The Medical Center at Bowling Green, flagship hospital of Med Center Health, has received the 2021 Get With The Guidelines®Stroke Gold Plus Award with Honor Roll Elite Status and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

Gold Plus Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Quality Achievement Award for commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.

Target: StrokeSM Elite Award for meeting quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.

Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor RollTM Award for meeting quality measures developed with more than 90% compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.”

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and speeding recovery times.

Get With The Guidelines-Stroke was developed to assist healthcare professionals to provide the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for treating stroke patients.

“The Medical Center at Bowling Green is truly honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our team’s dedication to helping our patients have the best possible chance of survival during and after a stroke,” said Bill Singletary, RN, the hospital’s Stroke Program Coordinator. “Considering everything our communities, patients, families, caregivers and staff have been through since the COVID-19 pandemic began and the many challenges we have all faced together, this year’s award is particularly gratifying and clearly demonstrates Med Center Health’s ongoing commitment to stroke guidelinebased care, treatment, education and service.”

Each year, program participants apply for the award recognition by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, participants also provide education to patients to help them manage their health and rehabilitation once at home.

“We are pleased to recognize The Medical Center at Bowling Green for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”

The Medical Center at Bowling Green is certified by The Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center.